Together with American leadership, Ukraine can achieve long-term peace, but to achieve it, a number of conditions must be met, in particular, increasing pressure on Russia and providing Ukraine with security guarantees, believes the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.

"A ceasefire in Ukraine will not come through diplomatic gestures alone. A number of conditions are crucial beforehand in order to ensure that peace – when it comes – is lasting. This includes putting political and financial pressure on Russia to raise the cost of renewed conflict," Yermak wrote in an editorial for The Guardian.

"First, Ukraine must be given security guarantees that lend credibility to a future ceasefire agreement. Second, Europe must act decisively to strengthen and increase the sanctions against Russia. And third, Europe should take control of the frozen Russian assets to enable continued and increased support for Ukraine," he wrote.

"Moscow’s decade-long aggression against Ukraine cannot be taken lightly – the leaders of Europe recognise this and we call on them in this critical time to deliver on the promising discussions in Brussels last Thursday," Yermak added.

"Europe’s decision to jointly borrow up to EUR 150bn for member-state defence spending is critical. This – combined with a potential EUR 20bn for Ukraine’s defence – will make a tangible contribution to establishing a robust defence architecture for the whole of Europe," he noted.

"Credible deterrence will help to ensure that any ceasefire has the best chances of becoming a lasting peace. Europe cannot allow a ceasefire that serves only to allow Russia to rearm, rebuild its forces and come back for more Ukrainian lands and resources," Yermak added.

"Yet one of the most potent tools in Europe’s arsenal is the EUR 300bn in frozen Russian assets held in western financial institutions. These resources should remain under embargo, with profits used to sustain Ukraine’s financial recovery. Allowing Russia to reclaim these funds after its war of aggression would have catastrophic consequences," he explained.

"We greatly appreciate the generosity of the US and its efforts to achieve peace for Ukraine. But European unity is no less important in this process. Only together can we build a security architecture that will guarantee peace and prosperity for generations to come," Yermak added.